With the completion of the new Perham Memorial Hospital only months away, the hospital continues to add new staff and doctors to provide increased medical coverage for the area.

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Dr. Jedidiah Perkerewicz has recently joined the hospital as a new OB/GYN specialist, providing care in Perham and in Detroit Lakes.

Perkerewicz, originally from Washburn, N.D., went to both undergraduate and medical school at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D.

Perkerewicz's wife is from Park Rapids, Minn., and together they have two sons, 5 and 2.

After spending four long and busy years in residency in Ann Arbor, Mich., Perkerewicz said he's excited about the move to Perham.

"The last four years were so busy, the move here was a welcome change," he said. "We were looking for a smaller, community-based practice. We wanted to bring our kids back to Lakes Country."

Being close to family was also an important factor in the move, Perkerewicz said.

During his free time, Perkerewicz enjoys outdoor activities and just being with his family. He's looking forward to teaching his sons hunting and fishing, he said.

Perkerewicz, who just recently started providing care in Perham last week, will be in town on Tuesday mornings for a half-day every week. He said it's possible that he'll be in town more to provide more care, but his schedule is yet to be finalized.

In addition to OB/GYN care, Perkerewicz is trained in minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery.

While in Michigan, Perkerewicz trained with something called a da Vinci robot, which allows for surgeons to have more freedom of movement with their hands during surgery.

While he won't have the robot here in Perham, Perkerewicz said it's still a good tool that's helped him train for surgery. It has also given him other valuable skills, which he's looking forward to putting to work at the new hospital.

"I'm excited for the community. (The new hospital) will be beneficial for everybody," he said. "The new labor and delivery suites are going to be very accommodating for patients. It's going to be very patient friendly."

Perkerewicz joins Dr. Jaimie Deraney, who has provided OB/GYN services in Perham for several years.

While his schedule is still up in the air, Perkerewicz said he's ultimately hoping to provide more obstetrics care available in Perham.